Power-factor controller.



J. PEARSON.

POWER FACTOR CONT-ROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1907.

983,835. Patented Feb. 7, 1911.

49:7 7146' amm UNITED STATES P t-SENT OFFICE.

JOHN PEARSON, OF SOMERSET, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD TO JAMES F.

WILLIAMSON AND ONE-SIXTH T0 FRANK I). MERCHANT, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MIN- NESOTA.

rowan-moron CONTROLLER.

Patented Feb. 7, 1911.

Application' filed July 20, 1907. Serial No. 384,765.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN PEARSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Somerset, in the county of St. Croix and State of Wisconsin, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in ,Power- Factor Controllers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it ap'pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the regulation of the power factor in electric generating and transmitting systems and has for its especial object to provide an improved means for automatically controlling the fields of generators, motors, and synchronous converters running in parallel.

To the above ends the inventionconsists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims. V

It is desirable in all transmission lines to have a high power factor at all times. By the proper regulation, this is possible in sys terms where alternators feed current into the line and at the end of -the line are synchronous motor generators or synchronous con- 7 verters taking the power. In cases where synchronous converters or synchronous m0- tors are running in parallel with alternators, if the field excitation is'increased, in either the converters, motors or alternators,it has a tendency to make the current lead, and if the field excitation, on the other hand, is decreased, it has a tendency to make the main current lag.

My present invention comprises an element responsive to phase difference, between voltage and current and arranged to auto matically swing in onedirection, when the current leads, and in the other direction when the current lags, which controls a rheostat, or other variable resistance device, for the purpose of weakening or strengthening the field of the synchronous motor, synchronous converter, or synchronous alternator. The device for automatically performing this function, I designate as an automatic power factor regulator. In cases where the voltage is controlled at the generating end of the line, it is usually desirable to thus regulate or control the fields of the.

synchronous converters synchronous motors which machines are located at the distributing end of the line.

The invention 18 illustrated diagrammatically in the drawing, in which the numeralindicates, as an entirety, an alternating current generator which, as'shown, is of the two-phase type and the voltage of which is regulated by what is generally known as the Tirril voltage regulator, indicated as can entirety by the numeralQ. and by a cooperating electrical field exciter 2*. The construction and operation of these mechanisms are well understood and, hence, here require no detailed description.

The numeral 3 indicates,as an entirety, a synchronous motor of the two-phase type which is located at'the distributing end of the line. The corresponding phase coils of both the alternating 'generatorand cat the motor are indicated by the samecharacteis with different powers, to-wit,- the letters a-a and Z2?), and the corresponding con,- necting Wires of the line are indicated by the characters 0. and Z2 The generator field is designated by the charactcrl and the motor field by the character 3 The generator slip rings are indicated by the character l and the motor slip rings by the character 3"..

The automatic power factor regulator comprises a device responsive to phase difference between voltage and current, and a relay mechanism for the purpose of reducing the amount of current used at the main contacts, thereby making possible the use of a much smaller and more sensitive device responsive to phase changes between voltage and current than could otherwise be employed.

Device responsive to phase change between, voltage and current-Of the parts of this device, as illustrated in the drawing, the

numerals at and 5 indicate coils, of which coils the two coils i are axially alined. and the coils 5 are: axially alined, but the said coils 4 and 5 are in this two-phase transmission system located at right angles or ninety degrees apart. By wires 6 the coils 4: are'connected-to the secondary 8 of a current transformer, the primary 7 of which is in one of the line wires a so that a current which corresponds in phase with coils a-af of the generator and motor willhe passed through the said coils 4 of the device responsive to phase difference between current and voltage. The coils 5 are connected by wires 9 to the secondary 10 of a current transformer, the primary 11 of which is in one of the line wires 6 so that there will be passed through the coils 5 a current which is ninety degrees out of phase with the current in coils 4. The current in coils 4 will be maximum when the current in coils 5 is zero, and as is evident, a rotating field will be produced by these coils.

A coil 12 is pivotally mounted for oscil latory movements on an axis that is located at the intersection of the projected axes of the coils 4 and 5. By wires 13 this coil 12 is connected to the secondary 14 of a voltage transformer, the primary 15 of which is connected across two of the line wires b b so that there will pass through this coil 12 a current which corresponds in phase with the voltage of phase 5-1) of the main line, or in other words, with the coils b of the generator and motor. The coil 12 tends to i take a position with its axis in line with the axis of the coils 5, when its 'voltage is in phase with the current of coils 5. \Vhen the current in' coils 5 is maximum, the current in coils 4 is zero,.also when the current in coils 5 is maximum the voltage in coil 12 will be maximum, when these two cur rents are in phase. Consequently, when the current in coils '5 and the current in coil 12 are maximum, the field of coils 5 will be through their axes,.and the field of coil 12 will be through its axis and coil 12 will adjust itself.to such a position that its field will also be in the direction of the axes of coils 5 when these currents are in phase. Of course, when the current dies out, or drops to zero in coils 5, the current in coil 12 also drops to zero, when these two are in phase. At this time, coil 12 produces no field, otherwise, at this instant, if it had a field thesame as a compass needle, it would shift so that its direction of lines of force would be the same as the direction of the lines of force of coils 4. If the phase of the voltage through coil 12 is shifted a few degrees, in respect to the current in coils 5, then the axis of the coil 12 will tend to shift a few degrees and change the contact lever up or down as the case may be. Said coil 12 carries a contact lever 16 which has contacts 17 and 18 pro'ecting in both directions from itsfree end. These contacts 17 and 18 are adapted to engage, res ectively, T e vibrawith fixed contacts 19 and 20. tory movements of the controller lever 16 are preferably retarded by a dash'pot connection 21. The numerals 22 and 23 indi-' cate two relays. The numeral 24 indicates an electrical exciter, and the numeral 25 its,

field. The numeral 26 indicates a variable resistance, such as a rheostat, which, as will presently appear, serves to vary the field current of the exciter and, hence, the field current of the synchronous motor 3.

.noid is energized. When the contact 27 is moved by the solenoid 29, the resistance is increased, while when said contact is moved b said coils 28 the resistance will be decrease The relays 22 and 23 serve to reduce the are at contacts 17 ,18, 19 and 20. Coils 30 of re- 4 lay 22, and coils 31 of relay '23 are permanently connected b wires 32-32 to exciter bus bars 33. ire 32" connects the controller lever 16 to the positive bus bar and through'the latter to the movable contacts 17 and 18. The coils of the solenoids 28 and 29 are connected by a wire 34 to one of the bus bars 33, which bus bar is also connected to movable contact 27 of the rheostat.

The-numeral 35 indicates a small dash pot and piston which prevents fluctuations or sudden movements of the cores of the solenoids 28 and 29 and, hence, of the movable contact 27 The numerals 36 and 37, respectively, indicate spring suspended contact levers or armatures that are respectively subject to the relay magnets 22 and 23 and carry con tact points 38" and 39, respectively. The contacts 38'and 39 cooperate, respectively, with fixed contacts 40 and 41. The contact 40 is connected by a wire 42 to the lower terminal of the solenoid 28, while the contact 41 is connected by a wire 42 to the lower terminal of the solenoid 29. The two armatures 37 and 36 are connected by a wire 43, which wire is connected by a short wire 1 44 to one of the exciter bus bars 33. A condenser 45 is connected across the relay contacts 38 and 40, and a condenser 4Gis 'connected across the relay contacts 39 and 41.

The numeral 47 indicates the field wires that connect the exciter bus bars 33 withthe slip rings 3 of the synchronous motor 3.

Relay .coils 48 and 49 respectively, of the relays 22 and 23 are Wound reversely to the cooperating relay coils.30 and 31. The fixed regnlator'contact 19 is connected by a wire 50 to one terminal of relay coil 49, and the fixed regulator contact 20 .is connected by a wire 51'to the upper terminals of relay coils 48. The lower te'rminals48' and :49 of relay coils 48 and 49 are connected to a wire 52 that afi'ords aco'mmon return wire therefor and for-the coils 30 and 31, to the" negativelexciter bus bar 33, as shown, through the wire. p

Opemma-lxcitcr 24: is exciting the field of synchronous motor 3, through bus bars wires at? and slip rings 3, and the current through the exciter field 25 is regulated by rheostat Elli and movable contact 27. .As is evident, when the resistance through the field of said exciter is increased,

the excitation of the field of motor 3 wilt '17\..and 18 in intermediate position shown.

The relay coils and 31 are constantly energized by. the current flowing through the exciter bus bars 33 and wires 32, and 34;. \Vhen the current in the transmission line leads the coil 12 will be oscillated in a direction to move the lever 16 upward and thus engage the contact 17 with the fixed contact 19, and thereby cause the cur rent to flow throughexciter bus bars 33,

, armature 37, wires 43 and 44,.

wires 32, 32, 50, relay coils 49 and wires and 34. This causes the relay coils 4:9 to be energizethand to thereby neutralize or overcome the energy of the cod erating coils 31, so that the armature 3! will be moved-upward by its spring and carry the contact 39 into engagement with the fixed contact 41. This closes the circuit through the rheostat adjusting solenoid 29, by Way of exciter bus bars 33, wire 34, When the solenoid 29 is energized its core moves downward and the rheostat lever 27 is moved toward the right, thereby increasing the resistance through the field 25, exciter 24, and this, as is evident, will cause the field excitation of said exciter and hence of the motor 3 to be decreased until the current ceases to lead the voltagein the transmission line.

When the current in the transmission line lags, the coil 12 will be oscillated in a direction to lower the lever 16 and thereby movethe contact 18 into engagement with the contact 20. Then this is done, the

coils 48 of the lefthand relay will be energized, by the current flowing through exciter bus bars 33, wires 32, 32, 51, 52 and Whenxsaid coils 418 are thus energized, they neutralize or overcome the energy of the coilse30, thereby permitting the armature 36 to be moved upward by its spring and'carry the contact 38 into engagement with the fixed contact 40. This will cause the left hand rheostat actuating coil '28 to be energized, by current flowing through the exciter bus bars 33, wires 34, 42, arniaturc 36, and wires 4.4. As is evident, when the said solenoid 28 is energized, its core mission line.

will be moved dowi'lward, thereby n'ioving the rheostat lever 27 toward the left, thus decreasing the resistance through the ex citer field 25, with the result that the excitation of the said exciter field and hence of the field ot' the motor 3 will be increased until the current is brought up into phase with the voltage of the current in the trans- It will thus be seen that the current is automatically kept in phase with the voltage, by means of my improved power factor regulator.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In an electrical generating and transmitting system, the combination with synchronous electric machines running in parallel, of an exciter connected in the field of one of said synchronous electric machines, a rheostat in the field circuit of the exciter, reversely acting solenoids and connections for adjusting said rheostat, reversely acting electrical relays with connections for controlling said solenoids, electrical connections, including a pair of fixed contacts, for rendering said relays reversely acting, said solenoids and relays being energized from the exciter circuit, and an automatic power factor regulator having relatively fixed and relatively movable windings, one subject to current changes and the other to voltage changes in the line, and the said movable member thereof having a reversely acting contact cooperating with the fixed contacts of said relay connections, substantially as described.

2. In an electrical generating and transmitting system, the combination with synchronous electric machines running in par allel, of an exciter connected in the field of one of said synchronous electric machines, a rheostat in the field circuit of the exciter, reversely acting solenoidsand connections for adjusting said rheostat, reversely acting relays with connections for controlling said solenoids, said relays having/coils ermanently connected in the exciter circuit, and

open coils in opposition thereto, electrical connections incl'u ing a pair of fixed contacts for energizing the opposition coils on said relays, and an automatic power factor regulator having relatively movable windings, one subject to current changes and the other to Volta 6 changes in the line, the said movable mom 1' thereof having a reversely acting contact cofiperating with the fixed contacts of the 0 position C01lS of the relays, substantially-as described.

3. In an electrical generating and transmitting system, the combination with synchronous electric machines running in parallel, an exciter connected inthe field of one of said synchronous electric machines,-a rheostat in the field circuit of the exciter, re- Versely acting solenoids and connections for adjusting said rheostat', reversely acting refixed and relatively lays with connections for controlling said solenoids, said relays having coils permanently connected in the exciter circult, and open coils in opposition thereto, electrical connections with the exciter circuit including a pair of fixed contacts for energizing the opposition coils on said relays, and an automatic power factor regulator having relatively fixed and-relatively movable windings, one subject to current changes and the other to voltage changes in the line, the said movable member thereof having a reversely acting contact cooperating with the fixed contacts of the opposition coils of the relays substantially as described.

In testimon whereof I afiix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

JOHN PEARSON.

Witnesses:

Rosa E. LAGRANDEUR, H. A. LAGRANDEUR. 

